Theresa May Calls General Election for 8 June

April 19, 2017

BBC News reports:

Theresa May has called a snap general election for June 8, claiming that divisions at Westminster risked hampering the Brexit negotiations.

Under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, May cannot call an election directly but will lay down a motion in the House of Commons requiring two-thirds of MPs to back it. Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National party all promised not to stand in her way, allowing for the Commons to be dissolved on 3 May. MPs will vote on whether to dissolve parliament after a 90-minute debate on Wednesday, 19 April.

The move surprised Westminster, as Theresa May and Number 10 have repeatedly stated a general election would not be held before 2020.

The Prime Minsiter said she wanted "unity" at Westminster as talks on Brexit begin in earnest with the European Union. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn welcomed Mrs May's calls for an early election saying it will "give the British people the chance to vote for a government that will put the interests of the majority first."